Usually, when you finish reading a book, you don’t immediately start it all over again. If you enjoyed it a lot, you might return to it after some time, but generally, it makes more sense to choose another book—one you haven’t read before. Does this also apply to the Bible?
The Bible is different from other books
At first glance, the Bible may seem a book like any other. It contains stories, songs, and letters written by different authors. You can read it to discover more about the early history of the world and, in particular, the history of the people of Israel. You can also enjoy the poetry found in the wisdom books. Yet beneath the surface, the Bible is fundamentally different from every other book in the world.
The Bible is the Word of God
Although the Bible was written by many different authors over a period of several centuries, its ultimate Author is God. He inspired the human writers in a unique way, guiding them so that they communicated the message He wanted them to convey.
Here are a few examples that point to God as the Bible’s true Author:
- The Old Testament frequently uses the phrase, “Thus says the LORD…” (e.g. in Exodus 4:22, 1 Kings 11:31, Isaiah 7:7).
- In the New Testament, earlier Scriptures are sometimes described as words spoken by the Holy Spirit. For example, in Acts 4:24-25 believers pray: “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit…” and then the rest of the verse quotes from Psalm 2. In other words, Psalm 2 was ultimately written by God Himself.
- 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” In its immediate context, the word “Scripture” refers to the Old Testament since the New Testament had not yet been completed. However, in 2 Peter 3:16 Peter puts Paul’s letters alongside “other Scriptures” (i.e. the Old Testament writings), thereby recognizing them as Scripture as well. Moreover, in passages such as John 14:26 and 16:12–15, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will remind the apostles of His teaching and guide them into truth. On this basis, we can understand the New Testament as Scripture too—as the Word of God.
The Bible helps us to know God better
Not only is God the ultimate Author of the Bible, He also is its Central Figure.
In John 17:3, Jesus says: “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Since Jesus is no longer physically present on earth, we need other ways to know Him and the Father. And what better way could there be than to read about God’s creation work, His dealings with people throughout history, His warnings and promises through the prophets, and the teachings and miracles of Jesus… all of which are recorded for us in the Bible?
God revealed Himself to humanity and instructed people to write these things down and pass them on to future generations, so that we too could come to know Him and to discover His will for us.
God still speaks through the Bible
As the Word of God, the Bible is unlike any other book ever written. When we read the Bible—or hear it faithfully taught—we are hearing God Himself speak to us and address us personally. Let me illustrate this with an example.
In Exodus 17, Israel complains to Moses because they have no water to drink. Moses cries out to the LORD, and the LORD tells him to strike a rock, promising that water will flow from it (Exodus 17:1–6). Verse 7 tells us that Moses named the place “Massah” and “Meribah,” meaning “testing” and “quarreling,” because the Israelites tested the LORD and grumbled against Him. When Moses first wrote these words, an Israelite reading them would have been reminded to listen to God, trust Him, and not give in to doubt.
Interestingly, Psalm 95:8–11 refers back to this same event in Israel’s history and draws the same lesson: “Today, if you hear His [God’s] voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness…” In other words, when Psalm 95 was written, God was speaking to its hearers in the same way He had spoken through Moses in Exodus 17.
But the message goes even further. Hebrews 3:7–11 quotes Psalm 95:7–11, introducing the quotation with the words: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice…” What the Holy Spirit said in the past, through Exodus 17 and Psalm 95, He was still saying when Hebrews was written. The verb “says” in Hebrews 3:7 is in the present tense. And the Holy Spirit continues to speak the same message to us today.
This gives us an important principle: what the Holy Spirit has said in Scripture continues to speak to us and remains relevant today. As the author of Hebrews puts it: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
God’s Word touches and nourishes the heart
Countless believers have experienced God speaking to them through the Bible. It is a deeply personal experience that is difficult to put into words precisely, but we know it is Jesus Himself who speaks to our hearts. We open His Word and begin to read, sometimes He speaks to us through a passage we have already known for a long time. And, something happens within us. The Word touches us deeply and suddenly takes on new meaning. The presence of God’s Spirit through His Word touches us inwardly and fills us with joy.
At such moments, God opens our understanding, just as He did for the two believers in Luke 24:24–32. He gives us not only the ability to understand His Word intellectually, but also spiritual insight. Suddenly, it speaks directly to our situation and our need; it answers our questions and brings comfort in our sorrow.
Every day, we can, as it were, ‘sit at the feet of the Master,’ walk with Him, and listen as He opens the Scriptures to us. But for that to happen, we need to set aside time to read the Bible attentively, praying for the guidance of His Spirit. In this way, the Bible becomes our ‘spiritual food.’
Read it again!
So, when you have finished reading the Bible, read it again! After all, the Bible is God’s Word to us. It is living and active, and through it God teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness, so that we may be fully equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
You can read the Bible from beginning to end, but it can also be helpful to focus on specific themes and explore what the Bible teaches about them. The YouVersion Reading Plans are a great way to do this. Click here to find a list of reading plans we have created for you, or visit the YouVersion homepage to explore countless reading plans on a wide range of themes.